Ball reprojector



May 4, 1943. P. LA ROCK BALL REPROJECTOR Filed July 1o, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4, 1943. P, LA ROCK BALL REPRoJEcToR Filed July 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 4, 1943 Unirse err-ss rsNroFF1cE;.

` BALL nEPRoJEcToR Pat La Rock, Chicago, lll., assignor, by mesne assignments, toy Chicago Coin Machine Co. (not inc.), Chicago, Ill., a copartnership composed of Samuel Gensberg, Dora Gensberg, Samuel Wolberg, and Eva. Wolberg v Application July 10, 1941, :Serial No. 401,712

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-85) This invention relates to certain novel improvements in amusementgame apparatuses and has -for its principal object the provision of an improvedconstruction of this character which `will be highly efficient in use, and cne which will afford the maximum amount of amusement. Among the salient objects of this invention is the provision in an amusement game apparatus of two or more oppositely disposed manuallyconvtrolled manikins whereby upon the operation individually of the manikins a ball may ,be propelled across a playing field. The present invention particularly relates to a game of hockey, although the invention is not to be limited to such game.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination Vand arrangement of parts to be hereinafter de.-

scribed and claimed. 1 The invention will be best understood by referen ce to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which: Fig. l is a perspective view of the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary `sectional detail view taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional detail view of the invention taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of .the same taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 isanillustration, partly in perspective, of the mechanism for controlling the operation of the man ikins embodied inthe invention;

Fig. Gis a Vdiagrammatical view of an electric lcircuit controlling the ball elevator embodied in form of construction of my invention. VIn this connection the invention comprises a cabinet I0 .within which is arranged a playing board Il beneath a glass panel I2. From a medial line indicated at I3 the playing board is inclined downwardly in opposite directions. However, I do not desire to be limited to this specific structure since the playboard I3 is equally effective when inclined from the front to the extreme rear wherebyy all balls will gravitate to the front end of the cabinet.

Each end I4 of the playing board I3 terminates into a ball return `trough I5 having communication'with an auxiliary return runway I6 com- .municating with a ball elevator passage l1. l Balls are elevated upwardly through this passage I'I by .c ,ball elevator i8 comprisingan arm ,lipvqtallr supportedatZ to a wall ofthe cabinet-I and Vin cluding a depending finger 2| adapted to be engaged by a cam 22 xedly mounted uponia rotatable shaft 23 of an electric motor 2d. This motor 24 is in an electric circuit 25 including a source of electric energy 25 and a time switch 2l of a well.- known type.

This time switch is operated by means of the coin slide 28 of a coin control mechanism 29, the arrangement being such that upon inward movement of the coin slide 28 the inner end 30 thereof will engage an arm 3| having connection to the time switch as at 32, and movement of this arm 3| will set the time switch into operation for co-ntrolling the circuit 25 of the motor 24, which motor will be conditioned for operation pending the control of the circuit 25 by such time switch. An

additional switch 61 is mounted on the underside of the transverse portion I6 of the rauxiliary return runway I6 and has one contact element thereof extending up into the path of travel of the balls for engagement thereby to cause such contact element to close circuit through the other or complementary contact element. The arrangement is such that circuit to the motor 24 is completed whena ball is in the runway I6 and such that when the last ball passes out of engagement with the switch contact disposed in the runway I6? circuit will be broken at the switch Si to stop the motor 2li.

The entrance to each return trough I5 comprises a goal including a ball-actuated gate 33 pivotally supported as at 3i toI a portion of the cabinet I5. This gate 33 has an arm 35 which is adapted. to close an electric switch 36 of a score element 3i. There are two separate score indicators, one forthe switch 36 in the front trough and another for the switch 36 of the rear trough. Each indicator in the score circuit 37 includes a series of electric bulbs 38, illumination of which is controlled by a step-up commutator switch 39 of a well-known structure and including an electromagnet 68, the switch 39 being operative in step-by-step fashion through the medium of the electromagnet 68 each time the switch 36with which it is connected is closed, and theswitch 36 is closed each time a ball gravitates through the entrance opening to the return runway I5.

Mounted opposite ends oi the prying board I i adjacent the entrance to tite un trough I5 is a manikin including a b n-cth'er ball propelling instrument disposed l movement substantially parallel with the sur e of the playing board ii.l This in-anilrin is mounted upon a shaft i2 and inciudes an enlarged base 33 which serves to support tli'e'shai' in the position -the front end of the machine.

be the object of the player to manipulate the` .other end of the machine.

shown. The shaft 42 has operative connection with a train of gears 44, the pinion 45 of which is mounted upon a shaft 46 of a reversing motor 41. The motor 41 is in electric circuits 48 and 48 and these electric circuits are under the control of stationary contact plates 49 and 49 and a movable contact pin 50. The stationary contact plates 49 and 49 are carried by a fixed panel 5I supported by a ball of the cabinet l0. 'I'he contact` pin 50 is movable with an arm 52 normally retained in a central position with respect to the panel by a centering spring 53, one end 54 of which is connected to the arm 52 and the opposite end 55 to the underside of the playing board Il as shown in Fig. 4.

The arm 52 is fixed to the shaft 55, one end 5T of which extends exteriorly of the cabinet lil with bearings in a suitable plate 58- A handle 59' is provided and this handle is connected to the shaft 5l as at 60, whereby upon oscillation of the handle 59, the plate 52 will oscillate for reasons hereinafter set forth.

Arranged in the auxiliary return trough i5 are cut-off pins 5i, there being one of such pins 6i adjacent each of the return troughs i5, each pin 6l being slidably supported by bracket formations 52 on trough i5 and having end portions (itlA connected to a bell crank S4 in turn connected toa spring-controlled bar 55 carrying the arm 3i.. The arrangement is such that when the bar 55 is permitted to return to its normal position under the action of the spring 55, the cut-off pins 6l will be moved into blocking position into the return runway l5, thus blocking gravitation of the balls to the elevator i8.

The game is played as follows:

The operator deposits a coin in the coin slide and moves the slide 2'9 inwardly. IThe slide will thereupon engage the arm 3i, set the timing switch into operation, move the bar 55 in a direction to dispose the ball blocking pins from bali blocking position. This permits the balls to roll down the return runway to the elevator where the Weight oi a ball will close circuit through switch 5l, and as the motor 24 is now operating, these balls will be successively elevated up the ball passage il, through an outlet opening il onto the playing board l I. Upon rolling onto the playing board ll, the ball will gravita-te toward It will therefore manikin at that end of the machine so as to bring the ball-striking bat into contact with the ball and project the same toward the rear or If this is accomplished, it will then be the object oi the player to manipulate the manikin at the rear end of A,the machine so as to bring the' ball-striking bat thereof against the ball to return the ball to the first manikin. This operation continues until th ball is missed and passes into either one oi the ball return troughs l5. In passing into the troughs i5 the switch 35 associated therewith will be closed by the gate 34 and the step-up switch 3S caused to operate to illuminate one ofthe lamps 38' to indicate a score for the successful play, it being pointed out that there are two rows oi electric lamps 38 to indicate into which of the return runways l5 the ball has passed and that a separate score will be recorded for each of the goals.

The two manikins are alike in structure and each includes a motor unit 41B; which will rotate the shaft 45 in a right-hand direction (clockwise) and a motor unit lli-L which will rotate shaft 46 in a left-hand direction (anticlockwise). The motor unit 41B, is in the circuit indicated at 48' having connection with contact member 49' on the fixed panel 5I and the motor unit 41L is in the circuit 48 which includes the contact 49 as a part of its control switch.

'I'he manipulation of these manikins takes place through the operation of the handle 59, which is accomplished by oscillating the handle back and forth so as to bring the contact 59 into engagement with either the contact member 49 or the contact member 49' to complete either circuit 48 or 48 as the case may be, and thus cause the operation of the motor according to the direction of rotation desired for ball striking purnoses. In other words, pivoting the handle 59 to the right will cause both manikins to operate in a clockwise rotation, whereas pivoting the handie tothe left will cause the operation of the manikins in an anticlockwise rotation.

The appeal of the game is enhanced by reason of the two manikins operating simultaneously, since the person playing the game, while attentivetc the action of the foremost manikin, for the moment, is not aware of the activity of the rearmost one and he is called upon to exercise his skill in manipulation of the handle 59 in order to prevent the rearmost manikin from obstructing the movement of the ball to successfully build up a score in the rearmost goal or ball trap I5.

Thus, it will be seen that the two manikins are under the complete control of the player and that Whether or not the ball or balls findv lodgement in the desired return. runways will depend upon the skill of the operator in preventing the ball by means of these manikins from so entering the return runways as well as controlling the manikins to direct the ball toward a desired runway. Thus, it is apparent that I have provided a game which requires the skill of the operator in arriving at a proper score. The game presents a maximum amount of amusement, as well asr skill.V

While I have illustrated the game apparatus as being coin-controlled, it is obvious that the same may be so arranged as to be played Without the use of acoin. This may be accomplished by providing a control slide without a coin aperture.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form' of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable' of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention'. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of thev appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newv andI desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A game apparatus of the class described Icomprising' a playing field inclined downwardly from a transverse medial line, motor driven means for elevating a predetermined number of balls one at a time to said playing eld for gravitation theredown from said elevating means toward one end only of the playing held, ball batting means at opposite ends of the playing eld, means including an electric circuit for simultaneously operating said ball batting means in one direction and a second circuit for simultaneously operating said ball batting means'in an opposite direction and switchmeans includinga manually operable oscillatory handle for controlling one' or the other of said electric circuits whereby to reverse simultaneous operation of said ball batting means.

2. A game apparatus of the class described comprising a playing field inclined downwardly from a transverse medial line, means for elevating a predetermined number of balls one at a time to said playing field, ball batting means at opposite ends of the playing eld, means for simultaneously operating said ball batting means and including an electric circuit for simultaneously operating said ball batting means in one direction and a second circuit for simultaneously operating said ball batting means in an opposite direction, switch means for each of said circuits, and a manually operated handle for optionally operating one or the other of said switch means whereby to simultaneously eiect reverse operation of said ball batting means.

3. A game apparatus of the class described including a cabinet, a member Within said cabinet providing a playing field inclined downwardly from a transverse medial line, means for ele- CII vatng balls one at a time to said playing field for gravitation theredown from said elevating means toward one end only of said playing field, ball batting means at opposite ends of the playing iield, motor driven means for simultaneously operating said ball batting means and including separate electric circuits, one for effecting rotation of said ball batting means in one direction and the other for effecting rotation of said ball batting means in an opposite direction, switch means for controlling each of said circuits, and an oscillatory handle exterior of the said cabinet and having connection with each of said switch means and adapted to be operable by the player of the game for controlling one or the other of the circuits whereby to simultaneously operate said ball batting means in one cr the other of said direction of rotation at the option of the player.

PAT LA ROCK. 

